The Fear of Missing Makeup (FOMM)

Class, I’m here to talk to you today about a very serious issue.

FOMM.

For those of you unfamiliar with this term (and you should be, as I’ve only just thought of it) this is similar to the much discussed FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out.

This is the FEAR OF MISSING MAKEUP.

I wasn’t familiar with the world of makeup collection until I started using Instagram. In this world, it seems that brands keep releasing new products that we have to have. And if we don’t have them, we are missing out. And if we are missing out, we are certainly not going to be as pretty or cool as the women who did just buy that new MAC collection based on a cartoon or that new eyeliner that everyone else seems to be able to use better than I can.

One of the first times I recognized FOMM in myself was, in fact, the Benefit They’re Real! Push Up Liner. I went to the store the day of its release to get it. That day also happened to be the last day of school before summer. But I was more focused on the liner. I’m still really bad at using that liner.

The next time I had serious FOMM was the Stila 20th Anniversary Collection. You know, that time that I bought an eye shadow palette that I didn’t really need? We’ve definitely talked about it before. It’s an OK set of shadows. But I didn’t need it.

Then, it happened again. I made the mistake a few days ago of browsing Beautylish. Almost every link leads to the Charlotte Tilbury collection. The one that’s only just come to the U.S. Now, we’ve all heard amazing things about Charlotte Tilbury. So, like any normal person, I put a few items in my digital cart, convinced myself I didn’t need more makeup, and closed the window.

Cut to this morning, when I wake up with an email from a Beautylish staff member, saying that if I would reconsider going through with that purchase, they would upgrade my shipping and I could have my new goodies tomorrow. TOMORROW. TOMORROW.

I don’t have to tell you what happened, right? I mean, how could I pass up on new makeup that everyone else is getting?

FOMM (and good customer service) made me do it.

I can just barely justify this purchase by saying these items are like nothing I have. But I will do a post on how they look in person tomorrow.. when I get them..

In the meantime, can we start a movement? Can we push front and center the idea that we do not need to have every new cosmetic item? That they are never going to invent anything that’s so groundbreaking that if we don’t get it everyone else will look like a supermodel and we won’t?

Let’s band together and fight against FOMM, the fear of missing makeup!